An engineer of change
Maurice Grech is definitely a university man. After all, he was the dean of the Faculty of Engineering for many years and was deeply involved at its highest levels. So why was he chosen to be the new principal and CEO of the Malta College of Arts,...
Maurice Grech is definitely a university man. After all, he was the dean of the Faculty of Engineering for many years and was deeply involved at its highest levels.
So why was he chosen to be the new principal and CEO of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology? The appointment says a lot about the man's competence - Frank Edward's shoes will be hard to fill - but it says a lot more about Mcast itself that a top professor views it as being such a prestigious post. Just seven years ago, Mcast was trying to establish that "vocational" did not mean anything but that, "vocational".
"I think that what happened at Mcast over the past years is close to a miracle.Even those who first came up with the concept could never have dreamed that it would achieve so much in such a short period of time.
"Both Mcast and university have their strengths and together they can form a formidable team. There are in fact many projects where the two institutions can be partners and where Mcast can take over where the university leaves off," he said.
"When at the university, I always looked very favourably on Mcast and thought it very important that the two institutions collaborate. I never saw the institutions as being in competition with each other; on the contrary I always considered them, and still do, as being very complementary. This implies there are differences; at Mcast, for example, we have a wider student target group at different levels and we design our course curricula in a very different way, frequently around the needs of our industry and often following consultation with industry."
Indeed, this is why Mcast has become such an important link for industry, providing it with the human resources it needs at many levels. It is enough to consider what happened this last year or so in the aviation industry. Following discussions with the industrial partners Mcast identified a need for trained personnel within the aircraft maintenance sector and courses were thus immediately designed in collaboration with industry and according to the emerging needs. The recent investment made by Lufthansa Technik was partly motivated by Mcast's disposition and provision of trained personnel. But Mcast did not stop there. It will obtain a licence to teach in the aviation maintenance sector in its own right within a few months.
"Some colleges in other countries took several years to attain such a licence, but it only took us a year. Everybody is aware of the strict quality control procedures that characterise the industry, so this tells something about the college and the professionalism, dedication and motivation of our staff," Grech said with pride.
"We are wasting no time and we have already started working on getting a licence to teach at a higher level. This will place the college at a more prestigious level within the industry."
Another sign of how far Mcast has come is the fact that it will introduce vocational degree courses, allowing its students to progress in their studies. Some Mcast students have already gone to the UK to obtain a degree by building on their Mcast qualifications. He stresses that this does not mean that the college will become another university.
"At the higher levels the line is subtle but it is there. For example, an engineer applies a knowledge of mathematics and natural science to practical ends and is normally involved in design, construction and operation of structures. He would, for example, carry out calculations to establish which materials would be best suited for a particular application. The Mcast students would, on the other hand, be on the shop floor, making it work in practice. He will be the one performing certain specialised technical jobs. All this reflects an international trend that recognises that people on the shop floor do not require as much theory as someone involved in research," he said.
Mcast is also, however, open to the idea of participating in research and development projects and is already involved in a number of international projects.
"There are plans for a major staff development project in the coming years, which will represent considerable investment. Mcast must have more teachers with Masters and PhDs if it is to improve even further the courses being run and offer Vocational Education and Training degrees of the highest quality."
This investment in human resources will also enable Mcast to carry out research and development work directly related to the needs of industry, thus bringing the college even closer to its industrial partners. Grech would like the college to become industry's refuge and provider, offering support in the widest possible sense.
Teaching and development work is not only about human resources but also about equipment - and sometimes very costly equipment. For Prof. Grech, the key is to avoid duplication and to purchase what best suits the country.
"When investing in equipment at the university, I always checked how teaching and research equipment could be used to offer a service to industry as well as whether such equipment was already available on the island. For example, prior to presenting proposals for ERDF funding consultations were held with Mcast and other institutions to avoid duplication. To mention but one case, Mcast intended to invest in a rapid prototyping lab and was advised to drop the idea as the department of manufacturing at the university had similar plans. It made more sense to avoid fragmentation and have Mcast students use the lab at the university if and when required. This not only avoids duplication and squandering of funds but it also encourages collaboration and cross fertilisation. In a country the size of Malta we have no other option but to exploit all available resources," he said.
At the university, he raised revenue through a company, Surface Engineering (SE) Ltd, which offers heat treatment and surface engineering to industry. In just five years this much as it had cost to set up.
"If you invest wisely, equipment pays for itself - while students benefit from access to state-of-the-art equipment," he said.
"If we wish our students to be entrepreneurial then the college must lead by example and find ways of generating funds using its human resources and facilities better. Mcast, for example, uses its equipment, in some cases unique in Malta, to train university engineering students who spend two months here to get hands-on experience." He sees such activities as a golden opportunity for revenue generation with foreign students. Moreover, given the nature of the training and courses offered by Mcast there are vast opportunities for collaboration with industry and for setting up spin-offs from which the student, industry and the college will benefit.
"It is important for Mcast to generate revenue and to reinvest in the future of our young people," he said.
Another priority is to keep abreast with industry demands. For the purpose, several committees with representatives from various sectors of the industry meet at two-month intervals to discuss opportunities or problems within that particular sector. This feeds Mcast with valuable information regarding upcoming skill requirements. It was as a result of one of these meetings that a course on carpentry for super yachts was set up , just one example from a long list.
Indeed, one challenge is to maintain a spread of interest across all sectors, rather than allowing too many students to flock to too few "flavour of the month" sectors.
"It is a matter of public relations. We intend to have open days which focus on a variety of sectors of the economy. We want the students to see Mcast's facilities and learn more about careers even in less visible sectors. It is up to us to give students direction. I think ICT has great promise, for example, but we should not ignore other sectors, particularly those in which Malta has a potential and including pharmaceutical, aviation, marine, engineering, science among various others," he said.
So why was he chosen to be the new principal and CEO of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology? The appointment says a lot about the man's competence - Frank Edward's shoes will be hard to fill - but it says a lot more about Mcast itself that a top professor views it as being such a prestigious post. Just seven years ago, Mcast was trying to establish that "vocational" did not mean anything but that, "vocational".
"I think that what happened at Mcast over the past years is close to a miracle.Even those who first came up with the concept could never have dreamed that it would achieve so much in such a short period of time.
"Both Mcast and university have their strengths and together they can form a formidable team. There are in fact many projects where the two institutions can be partners and where Mcast can take over where the university leaves off," he said.
"When at the university, I always looked very favourably on Mcast and thought it very important that the two institutions collaborate. I never saw the institutions as being in competition with each other; on the contrary I always considered them, and still do, as being very complementary. This implies there are differences; at Mcast, for example, we have a wider student target group at different levels and we design our course curricula in a very different way, frequently around the needs of our industry and often following consultation with industry."
Indeed, this is why Mcast has become such an important link for industry, providing it with the human resources it needs at many levels. It is enough to consider what happened this last year or so in the aviation industry. Following discussions with the industrial partners Mcast identified a need for trained personnel within the aircraft maintenance sector and courses were thus immediately designed in collaboration with industry and according to the emerging needs. The recent investment made by Lufthansa Technik was partly motivated by Mcast's disposition and provision of trained personnel. But Mcast did not stop there. It will obtain a licence to teach in the aviation maintenance sector in its own right within a few months.
"Some colleges in other countries took several years to attain such a licence, but it only took us a year. Everybody is aware of the strict quality control procedures that characterise the industry, so this tells something about the college and the professionalism, dedication and motivation of our staff," Grech said with pride.
"We are wasting no time and we have already started working on getting a licence to teach at a higher level. This will place the college at a more prestigious level within the industry."
Another sign of how far Mcast has come is the fact that it will introduce vocational degree courses, allowing its students to progress in their studies. Some Mcast students have already gone to the UK to obtain a degree by building on their Mcast qualifications. He stresses that this does not mean that the college will become another university.
"At the higher levels the line is subtle but it is there. For example, an engineer applies a knowledge of mathematics and natural science to practical ends and is normally involved in design, construction and operation of structures. He would, for example, carry out calculations to establish which materials would be best suited for a particular application. The Mcast students would, on the other hand, be on the shop floor, making it work in practice. He will be the one performing certain specialised technical jobs. All this reflects an international trend that recognises that people on the shop floor do not require as much theory as someone involved in research," he said.
Mcast is also, however, open to the idea of participating in research and development projects and is already involved in a number of international projects.
"There are plans for a major staff development project in the coming years, which will represent considerable investment. Mcast must have more teachers with Masters and PhDs if it is to improve even further the courses being run and offer Vocational Education and Training degrees of the highest quality."
This investment in human resources will also enable Mcast to carry out research and development work directly related to the needs of industry, thus bringing the college even closer to its industrial partners. Grech would like the college to become industry's refuge and provider, offering support in the widest possible sense.
Teaching and development work is not only about human resources but also about equipment - and sometimes very costly equipment. For Prof. Grech, the key is to avoid duplication and to purchase what best suits the country.
"When investing in equipment at the university, I always checked how teaching and research equipment could be used to offer a service to industry as well as whether such equipment was already available on the island. For example, prior to presenting proposals for ERDF funding consultations were held with Mcast and other institutions to avoid duplication. To mention but one case, Mcast intended to invest in a rapid prototyping lab and was advised to drop the idea as the department of manufacturing at the university had similar plans. It made more sense to avoid fragmentation and have Mcast students use the lab at the university if and when required. This not only avoids duplication and squandering of funds but it also encourages collaboration and cross fertilisation. In a country the size of Malta we have no other option but to exploit all available resources," he said.
At the university, he raised revenue through a company, Surface Engineering (SE) Ltd, which offers heat treatment and surface engineering to industry. In just five years this much as it had cost to set up.
"If you invest wisely, equipment pays for itself - while students benefit from access to state-of-the-art equipment," he said.
"If we wish our students to be entrepreneurial then the college must lead by example and find ways of generating funds using its human resources and facilities better. Mcast, for example, uses its equipment, in some cases unique in Malta, to train university engineering students who spend two months here to get hands-on experience." He sees such activities as a golden opportunity for revenue generation with foreign students. Moreover, given the nature of the training and courses offered by Mcast there are vast opportunities for collaboration with industry and for setting up spin-offs from which the student, industry and the college will benefit.
"It is important for Mcast to generate revenue and to reinvest in the future of our young people," he said.
Another priority is to keep abreast with industry demands. For the purpose, several committees with representatives from various sectors of the industry meet at two-month intervals to discuss opportunities or problems within that particular sector. This feeds Mcast with valuable information regarding upcoming skill requirements. It was as a result of one of these meetings that a course on carpentry for super yachts was set up , just one example from a long list.
Indeed, one challenge is to maintain a spread of interest across all sectors, rather than allowing too many students to flock to too few "flavour of the month" sectors.
"It is a matter of public relations. We intend to have open days which focus on a variety of sectors of the economy. We want the students to see Mcast's facilities and learn more about careers even in less visible sectors. It is up to us to give students direction. I think ICT has great promise, for example, but we should not ignore other sectors, particularly those in which Malta has a potential and including pharmaceutical, aviation, marine, engineering, science among various others," he said.